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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cell — a phone
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. staff — employees
  11. capital — money
  12. staff — a stick
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stand — to bear
  15. capital — a city
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pass — a permit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fork — in a road
  23. staff — employees
  24. bark — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com